INTRODUCTION Certain modifiable cerebrovascular risk factors, such as arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and atrial fibrillation, must be recognised and controlled if a decrease in the appearance of cerebrovascular diseases is to be achieved. On some occasions the presenting symptom of these risk factors may be a stroke.

PATIENTS AND METHODS A prospective observation-based study was conducted with a sample of patients who were admitted to the stroke unit of our hospital due to an acute cerebrovascular disease, namely transient ischaemic attack and ischaemic stroke, in order to determine the percentage of patients with previously undiagnosed arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and atrial fibrillation.

RESULTS A total of 186 patients were selected for the study. Of the total number of patients, 24 presented unknown arterial hypertension (12.9%); 11 had unknown diabetes mellitus (5.9%); 49 had unknown hypercholesterolemia (26.3%); 15 had unknown hypertriglyceridemia (8.1%); and 22 had unknown atrial fibrillation (11.8%). Altogether 96 of them (51.6%) had at least one of these cerebrovascular risk factors. The existence of a previously undiagnosed risk factor was higher in the rural setting, in subjects who had not died at six months and in transient ischaemic attacks than in cases of ischaemic strokes.

CONCLUSIONS Over half the subjects who suffer a cerebrovascular event have a risk factor that has not previously been diagnosed. Campaigns should be carried out to implement detection of these factors, and increased efforts must be made to lower the appearance and recurrence of vascular pathologies.

Introducción Existe una serie de factores de riesgo cerebrovascular modificables, como son la hipertensión arterial, la diabetes mellitus, dislipidemias y la fibrilación auricular, cuyo reconocimiento y control es fundamental para disminuir la aparición de enfermedades cerebrovasculares. En ocasiones, el ictus puede ser el síntoma de presentación de estos factores de riesgo.

Pacientes y métodos Estudio observacional prospectivo de los pacientes que ingresan en la unidad de ictus de nuestro hospital por enfermedad cerebrovascular aguda –accidente isquémico transitorio e ictus isquémico– para conocer el porcentaje de pacientes con hipertensión arterial, diabetes mellitus, dislipidemias y fibrilación auricular no diagnosticadas previamente.

Resultados Se seleccionó a 186 pacientes, de los que 24 presentaban hipertensión arterial no conocida (12,9%); 11, diabetes mellitus no conocida (5,9%); 49, hipercolesterolemia no conocida (26,3%); 15, hipertrigliceridemia no conocida (8,1%), y 22 tenían fibrilación auricular no conocida (11,8%). En total, 96 pacientes (51,6%) tenían alguno de estos factores de riesgo cerebrovascular. La existencia de un factor de riesgo no diagnosticado previamente era mayor en el medio rural, en los sujetos que no habían fallecido a los seis meses y en los ataques isquémicos transitorios respecto a los ictus isquémicos.

Conclusiones Más de la mitad de los sujetos que sufren un evento cerebrovascular tienen un factor de riesgo que no se ha diagnosticado previamente. Se deben realizar campañas para implementar la detección de estos factores, así como incidir en el control de éstos para disminuir la aparición y recidiva de patología vascular.